Any Team but Vikings, by George

Dave Kindred of the Sporting News has a hang-up and his name is Jeff George:

” . . . By the time you read this, Jeff George and his Vikings may be wheels-up in a ditch alongside the Road to the Super Bowl. We can only hope so. Otherwise, we’re three weeks away from hearing, Jeff George, Super Bowl MVP. Good grief, what a way to start a millennium.

“I can’t shake it. Jeff George. Not to dump on a gifted quarterback. But after years of such dumping, it’s a habit.”

It’s nervous time for Kindred. George’s Vikings have already won one playoff game. Will there be more?

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Trivia time: The Lakers won an NBA-record 33 consecutive games during the 1971-72 season. Which team ended the streak?

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Bad timing: Bud Geracie in the San Jose Mercury News: “Seeing as how the debut issue includes features on Mike Ditka, Bill Parcells and Charles Haley, maybe Joe Montana’s magazine, the Red Zone, should be called the Pink Slip.”

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More Geracie: “LSU [basketball] Coach John Brady, after cracking the top 25 for the first time since 1993, said: ‘I never want to not have the attitude of getting better.’

“Words to live by, if you can sort them out.”

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Dull Dallas: Before the Cowboys were eliminated from the NFL playoffs Sunday by the Minnesota Vikings, Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle wrote:

“The NFL’s Year of Mediocrity deserves a mediocre champion, and the Cowboys wear that label as easily as a custom-made hat. They are a 10-gallon Stetson of average.

” . . . If they were a feature film, the Cowboys would be ‘Ordinary People.’ If they searched for their proper place to tie up their horses, it would be the OK Corral.”

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Boring Buccaneers: Jim Armstrong in the Denver Post: “Las Vegas’ top five favorites to win the Super Bowl: St. Louis 8-5, Jacksonville 5-2, Indianapolis 7-2, Minnesota 8-1, Tampa Bay 10-1.

“Tampa Bay? I guess it’s not inconceivable that the Bucs could win the Big One. Trouble is, the score would have to be 3-0.”

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Cowardly Lions? Bernie Lincicome in the Chicago Tribune on the early--and unimpressive--exit from the NFL playoffs by the “Detroit Lyings”:

“Wild card? Tame card is more like it. This game should have come with an apology, a floor show and a refund.”

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Wah, wah! Syndicated columnist Norman Chad on Washington Redskin hands-on owner Daniel M. Snyder: “When Redskins foul up and TV shows punk owner in his box, he’s got that ‘Where’s my rattle?’ look on his face.”

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Trivia answer: Milwaukee, 120-104, on Jan. 9, 1972.

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And finally: Nick Canepa in the San Diego Union-Tribune:

“My favorite line of the weekend came from ABC sideline ‘reporter’ Solomon Wilcots. After a brief interview with Titan Coach Jeff Fisher before the game, Wilcots said: ‘Thank you for your knowledge.’ I hope, at one time, someone said the same thing to Einstein.”